Top EU officials including EP President, Justice Commissioner speak out on Romania as PM Ponta leaves for Brussels

EU states are "a little too quiet" regarding the situation in Romania, European Parliament president Martin Schulz said in an interview for Le Monde, quoted by AFP. He made the statement following a controversial vote in the Romanian Parliament to suspend President Traian Basescu, which has raised questions about compliance with the country's constitution. For her part, EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding was also quoted by AFP today saying the political crisis in Romania was a "great danger".

The two spoke out on Romania as PM Victor Ponta, who's governing alliance has pushed for the suspension of the President, visits Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday.

Martin Schulz was quoted as saying he would discuss with French President Francois Hollande as the (European) Council was "a little too quiet" on Romania, in his opinion. He mentioned the fast changes at the helm of several Romanian state institutions and the apparently planned attempt to remove President Basescu from office.

For her part, Commissioner Reding was quoted as saying she was seriously concerned about the situation in Romania and that the political crisis in the country was a "great danger" which may question the progress the country has made over the past several years.

Romanian PM Victor Ponta - whose alliance managed in just several days to make a series of changes at the top of state institutions and to suspend President Basescu and tried to limit the powers of the Constitutional Court - pays a visit to Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday. He is due to discuss Romania's situation with EP President Schulz, European Council president Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Ponta and interim President Crin Antonescu made a series of statements over the past two days insisting that the rulings of the Constitutional Court have shown that the decisions of the Parliament last week were in line with the Constitution. They said they proved allegations of "coups d'etat" or attacks on the rule of law, which were voiced by the opposition and various European politicians, were false.